After Cubs play 24 games without a day off, Ben Zobrist seeks new rule

July 11,2016 04:08

"Even with makeup games, your body is not made to do that. Your mind is not made to do that. We've got to do better at taking care of players and making sure the fans get the best of the players when they're showcasing their abilities. When you're ...

PITTSBURGH â€” As a veteran of 12 seasons, Ben Zobrist has been around long enough to know when something is wrong.And Zobrist hopes the Major League Baseball Players Association will push for changes in the next collective bargaining agreement to assure that teams won't go through a stretch of 24 games without a day off â€” as the Cubs completed Sunday. "This is really why we really need to do something, union-wise, with this bargaining agreement," Zobrist said. "Even with makeup games, your body is not made to do that. Your mind is not made to do that. We've got to do better at taking care of players and making sure the fans get the best of the players when they're showcasing their abilities. When you're playing that many days, it ends up not being as much about excellence as it is about money and players' endurance."Zobrist, 35, left it up to others to explore ways to avoid a repeat of the demanding stretch.

"There are a lot smarter people than me that can figure out better solutions, but there are solutions," Zobrist said. "There's got to be. Whatever it is, I think we need to do something about it. We've made a lot of strides over the years in making the game better for players to be able to stay healthy and showcase talent."But when you experience something like we've experienced the last 24 days, it's like, whoa, this is not the way our bodies are made to compete."The current CBA states teams cannot play more than 20 dates without a scheduled day off, but the Cubs rescheduled a rainout with the Braves for Thursday.Future star: Cubs prospect Eloy Jimenez hit a three-run home run in the ninth to help the World beat the United States 11-3 in the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday in San Diego. Jimenez also doubled in the World's first run, in the sixth, and made a spectacular catch of a long foul ball against a fence near the right-field stands to end the seventh. Rotation roundup: Kyle Hendricks will open the second half Friday against the Rangers, followed by Jason Hammel and John Lackey.All-Stars Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester will pitch the first two games of the Mets series, followed by Hendricks as Adam Warren stays in the bullpen.